to tell the truth

Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

- John 8:31-32 (NKJV)

 

On December 18, 1956 a new TV show premiered on CBS called “To Tell The Truth”.
The premise of the show was to have four celebrity panelists presented with three contestants, one of which had an unusual occupation or experience.
After select details of the occupation or experience had been revealed, the panelists had the opportunity to question the contestants, using the information they provide to determine who the imposters are and who the central character is that has the unusual occupation or experience. 

The imposters were encouraged to lie to convince the panelists that they were the one with the experience.

Encouraged to lie for the sake of a game show and entertainment.
The show was a decent hit, running 11 seasons from 1956-1967, 9 more seasons from 1969-1978, 2 more seasons in 2000-2002 and once more for 6 seasons between 2016-2022.
But lying for entertainment? 

We raise our children to tell the truth, that even the tiniest lie and wind up hurting someone (or we should raise them with this trait).
Lies can destroy a friendship, ruin a reputation, cost a person their career. 
Jesus said that He is the truth and knowing the truth will set us free. 
Life is not a contest or entertainment, lies cause hurt and cost more than they are worth.
Know Jesus. 
Know the truth. 

Be set free.

 

#dailybreadbykitty

Daily Inspiration from the Bible

hope

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

- 1 Peter 1:3 (NIV)

 

What a beautiful concept, isn’t it?
We not only have hope but living hope! 
Jesus’ resurrection from the dead (He is alive!) secures our salvation to be with Him forever and all the blessings that come with that!

Phil Wickham’s song Living Hope released in 2018 says a lot:
How great the chasm that lay between us

How high the mountain I could not climb

In desperation, I turned to heaven

And spoke Your name into the night

Then through the darkness, Your loving-kindness

Tore through the shadows of my soul

The work is finished, the end is written

Jesus Christ, my living hope

Who could imagine so great a mercy?

What heart could fathom such boundless grace?

The God of ages stepped down from glory

To wear my sin and bear my shame

The cross has spoken, I am forgiven

The King of kings calls me His own

Beautiful Savior, I'm Yours forever

Jesus Christ, my living hope

Hallelujah, praise the One who set me free

Hallelujah, death has lost its grip on me

You have broken every chain

There's salvation in Your name

Jesus Christ, my living hope

. . .

Then came the morning that sealed the promise

Your buried body began to breathe

Out of the silence, the Roaring Lion

Declared the grave has no claim on me

Then came the morning that sealed the promise

Your buried body began to breathe

Out of the silence, the Roaring Lion

Declared the grave has no claim on me

Jesus, Yours is the victory, whoa!

Hallelujah, praise the One who set me free

Hallelujah, death has lost its grip on me

You have broken every chain

There's salvation in Your name

Jesus Christ, my living hope

. . .

Jesus Christ, my living hope

Oh God, You are my living hope
God floods our lives with hope and life, and this new life we have in Christ is something that can never be taken away.
This living hope, it is ours.

#dailybreadbykitty

Daily Inspiration from the Bible

 

rest

Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

- Matthew 11:28 (NKJV)

 

Aren’t vacations great?
The rest and relaxation, forgetting about everyday troubles for a while? 
Oh, doesn’t it work that way for you? 

Yeah, me either.
Sometimes I find that I am more stressed after a vacation than I was before I left.
From what I can see in the Bible, rest is super important, not only physical rest but mind and spirit too, our bodies and minds can only take so much..

God rested – not because He was tired, but to set the standard for all of us!  
God rested and has told us to also rest. 

God desires rest for us because it does not come naturally to us. (this should be a direct hint to me, since I am told I don’t know how to stop . . . )

To rest, we must trust that God will take care of things for us, we must trust that if we take a day off, the world will not stop turning and things won’t completely fall apart.. (this would be good for me to acknowledge too)

Through the years humans have become more tense and less able to relax.

Relaxing our grip on our own lives, careers, families, etc., and giving them over to God in faith is the best way to relax. (note to self: hear that? give it all to God!)
Remember that the ultimate rest is found in Christ.

He invites all who are “weary and burdened” to come to Him and cast our cares on Him.

It is only in Him that we find our complete rest—from the cares of the world, from the sadness we face, rest from the stress of our work, because He alone is holy and righteous.

Take a word of advice from the Father, and rest.

 

#dailybreadbykitty

Daily Inspiration from the Bible

filled

For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

- Ephesians 3:14-19 (NKJV)

 

Do you realize how much you are loved, how far the Lord will go for you?
This verse is so powerful when you read it, God wants a relationship with you, He desires to give you everything!
Bethel Music released Goodness of God in 2019: 
I love You, Lord

For Your mercy never fails me

All my days, I've been held in Your hands

From the moment that I wake up

Until I lay my head

Oh, I will sing of the goodness of God

And all my life You have been faithful

And all my life You have been so, so good

With every breath that I am able

Oh, I will sing of the goodness of God

I love Your voice

You have led me through the fire

In the darkest night

You are close like no other

I've known You as a Father

I've known You as a Friend

And I have lived in the goodness of God (yeah)

. . .

'Cause Your goodness is running after

It's running after me

Your goodness is running after

It's running after me

With my life laid down

I'm surrendered now

I give You everything

'Cause Your goodness is running after

It's running after me

. . .

And all my life You have been faithful

And all my life You have been so, so good

With every breath that I am able

Oh, I'm gonna sing of the goodness of God

Things may be hard in your world right now; you may not be able to see tomorrow.
But God is there, waiting for you to run into His waiting arms, to give Him everything.

You will be filled with His goodness, mercy, and love.

 

#dailybreadbykitty

Daily Inspiration from the Bible

dream big

Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen..

- Ephesians 3:20-21 (NKJV)

 

Close your eyes for a moment and imagine your biggest dream.

I think that I would still love to open a Cat Café, someplace that the rescues could work with to find more cats forever homes.
Did you know that God longs to do more than that through you? 

He wants to work within you, so you can shine His love on others (even cats)!

The real question is whether or not you will believe it, receive it, share it and then give Him the glory for it!

#dailybreadbykitty

Daily Inspiration from the Bible

you may approach

In Him and through faith in Him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.

- Ephesians 3:12 (NIV)

 

I have a bit of an obsession with royalty.
I don’t know why, I am just fascinated to know the people behind the crown, the throne, the title.
They are people too, no matter what position they hold. 
But there are certain rules that must be followed when in the presence of royalty, always stand when they enter a room, never turn your back to them, do not touch or invade their personal space without a clear invitation.
It is even protocol to wait for the royal host to start the meal before you eat, and when the royal is finished eating, so are the guests.

So many rules!!
Everywhere we go, we need permission to do certain things, even when royalty is not involved.
Thankfully, we do not need permission to enter the throne room of our King.

We are free to bring Him every worry, every fear, every joy that we have, and all He asks in return is that we serve Him.

Not serve Him like the wait staff at your favorite restaurant but serve Him by putting aside your own wants and needs and truly do His work.

 

#dailybreadbykitty

Daily Inspiration from the Bible

words as weapons

Weapons made to attack you won't be successful; words spoken against you won't hurt at all. My servants, Jerusalem is yours! I, the Lord, promise to bless you with victory.

- Isaiah 54:17 (CEV)

 

Over the years I have held multiple roles in different organizations and various positions at work.

Something that seems to never change no matter what sort of role we have and that is people we deal with on a regular basis can be vicious and dramatic.

I have learned that people can be very mean, and sometimes they are mean without even trying.

I’ve had people use words as weapons against me and it did hurt.

I’ve been told the choices and decisions I made were wrong for a group I was leading, that I was not making the group a priority, that I was no longer needed in a role that truly made my heart glad. 

I’ve been given an ultimatum on my participation and on more than one occasion I have left groups that I loved based on someone else’s behavior.

I know that I am not the only one that sees this happening and I know I am not the only one experiencing these sorts of weapons.

I also know this: wounds heal.

Scars may remain but we can pull ourselves together and know that we are strong in the Lord.

For those that use their words and actions as weapons I implore you to think before you speak or act.

If you have wronged someone – even if you feel that you were right – apologize for your behavior.

A true heartfelt apology – not “I’m sorry if your feelings were hurt” but “I am sorry for what I said or did and I’m sorry for hurting you”.

 

#dailybreadbykitty

Daily Inspiration from the Bible

refined

He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver; He will purify the sons of Levi, And purge them as gold and silver, That they may offer to the Lord An offering in righteousness.

- Malachi 3:3 (NKJV)

 

Here are three definitions of the word refined:
Elegant and cultured in appearance, manner, or taste: if you say that someone is refined, you mean that they are very polite and have good manners and good taste.
Developed or improved so as to be precise or subtle: characteristics of a courteous, polished and honorable man.
With impurities or unwanted elements having been removed by processing: refined sugar or grain or precious metals like gold or silver.

In 2019 The Worship Project released “Refiner’s Fire”:
Purify my heart

Let me be as gold

And precious silver

Purify my heart

Let me be as gold

Pure gold

Refiner's fire

My heart's one desire

Is to be holy

Set apart for you Lord

I choose to be holy

Set apart for you my master

Ready to do your will

Purify my heart

Cleanse me from within

And make me holy

Purify my heart

Cleanse me from my sin

Deep within

Refiner's fire

My heart's one desire

Is to be holy

Set apart for you Lord

I choose to be holy

Set apart for you my master

Ready to do your will

Refiner's fire

My heart's one desire

Is to be holy

Set apart for you Lord

I choose to be holy

Set apart for you my master

Ready to do your will

And I am ready to do your will

Make me ready to do your will
Gold in its pure form is very soft, too soft to make jewelry or coins, so to make gold harder and stronger manufacturers add things like platinum, silver or copper.

But when the jewelry or coins are no longer useful, they are refined to pull those impurities out and leave the pure gold.
The refining process includes fire 1,000 – 1,200°C (that is 1,832 - 2,192°F), that is really, really hot!
Fortunately, we do not have to go through fire because God purified us by sending His Son to wash away our sin.

We should choose to be set apart for Him.

#dailybreadbykitty

Daily Inspiration from the Bible

 

heed the warning

Those things happened to them as examples for us. They were written down to warn us. That’s because we are living at the time when God’s work is being completed.

- 1 Corinthians 10:11 (NIRV)

 

My thoughts today may touch a few nerves, but I can’t say that I am sorry.
From the beginning of the Bible, humankind has kept a record of things like events, processes, instructions, and stories.

Nearly everything was passed down in some form whether it was by an elder telling children of the discovery of the wheel, or a historian recording evidence of the wheel being created. 
As technology has progressed, so have the recordings of history and unfortunately our perception of it as well.

Schools taught history so each upcoming generation could learn from the mistakes of their ancestors and potentially not repeat those mistakes.  
But it doesn’t happen that way, does it. 
The Message translation of this verse reads: These are all warning markers—danger!—in our history books, written down so that we don’t repeat their mistakes. Our positions in the story are parallel—they at the beginning, we at the end—and we are just as capable of messing it up as they were. Don’t be so naive and self-confident. You’re not exempt. You could fall flat on your face as easily as anyone else. Forget about self-confidence; it’s useless. Cultivate God-confidence.
The United States is erasing history because people find it offensive, so future generations will not be able to learn from the past.
Non-fiction books are the highest among world-wide book bans (25.38%) with only novels (42.20%) being higher.
We can’t erase history. 

We can’t change history.

We can study it and try to learn from it.

But instead, we seem to be burying it in the sand alongside our heads, hoping that if no one speaks of it, history will be forgotten.
We can’t hide from God, He knew the direction in which we were heading before we took our first breath.
So while the general public is ranting and raving and banning books, Christ followers need to heed the warnings that are listed in the Bible.
We are indeed living in a time when God’s work is being completed. 

 

#dailybreadbykitty

Daily Inspiration from the Bible

we are one

God does not see you as a Jew or as a Greek. He does not see you as a servant or as a person free to work. He does not see you as a man or as a woman. You are all one in Christ.

- Galatians 3:28 (NLV)

Back in 2017, the lead pastor at the church I attend had a sermon series where he answered questions.
One of the questions was “why is it taking America so long to figure out that we were all created equal?”

In seven years, not much has changed.
It is not just America though; it is all people. 
Why can’t humans understand that we are all created equal? 
Before I tell you the answer, let me reference a 1960’s hymn written by Father Peter Scholtes:
We are One in The Spirit,

We are One in The Lord.

We are One in The Spirit,

We are One in The Lord.

And we pray that all unity may one day be restored.

And they'll know we are Christians by our love,

By our Love,

Yes they'll know we are Christians by our love.

We will work with each other,

We will work side by side.

We will work with each other,

We will work side by side.

And we'll guard each man's dignity

And save each man's pride.

And they'll know we are Christians by our love,

By our Love,

Yes they'll know we are Christians by our love.

We will walk with each other,

We will walk hand in hand.

We will walk with each other,

We will walk hand in hand.

And together we'll spread the News

that God is in our land.

And they'll know we are Christians by our love,

By our Love,

Yes they'll know we are Christians by our love.

The answer that the pastor gave to the question of why it’s taking so long for humans to figure it out is one word: sin.
As long as there are people that feel their sin is justified, people will struggle with equality.

Have you ever heard the expression that the squeaky wheel gets the grease?

Well, the people that yell the loudest get the most attention – even when it is negative attention.

It feels like people are lemmings – blindly following one another over the edge.

All are equal in the eyes of God.

Maybe we need to follow His example, instead of following the sin.

 

#dailybreadbykitty

Daily Inspiration from the Bible

running water

But let justice run down like water, And righteousness like a mighty stream.

- Amos 5:24 (NKJV)

 

Some verses in the Book of Amos very strongly denounce religious hypocrisy and economic inequality.

The prophet Amos lashes out against those who have become rich at the expense of the poor and then act all religious.

Amos 5 is a call to repentance, telling us to seek the Lord, three times in fact, this chapter says, “seek the Lord and live”.
I believe that justice in this verse is referring to washing away the sin of the world.

Running water is often associated with purification, cleansing and renewal, symbolizing the flow of life, the washing away of impurities.
What can wash away my sin? 
Nothing but the blood of Jesus. (yes, that is indeed a song reference.) 

 

#dailybreadbykitty

Daily Inspiration from the Bible

walk with me

Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?

- Amos 3:3 (NKJV)

 

Anyone that has traveled any distance from home with another person has discovered that directions can be challenging.
You have to agree with each other (and sometimes with the GPS lady) which direction you are going to go.

My dad served in World War II, while he was not big on the military or talking about his service, he did have one story he loved to share.
He was in Italy, and his assignment for the day was to pick up two generals and drive them from one location to another.
For the most part, the generals ignored him, engrossed in their own conversation until my dad came to a fork in the road.

One general said to go left, the other said to go right, and they began arguing with each other about which was the right direction.

Daddy went straight down the middle.
God wants us to walk with Him, but we cannot walk with Him and continue to disregard His commandments.

Things have not changed in the 2,000 plus years since Jesus walked on the earth, humans are still consistent about living their own way, disregarding how the Bible says we should live. 

We see this everyday in our world, people who lie, cheat, steal, treat others with disrespect and still expect that they will get into Heaven.

Until we change our hearts, we are not going to see His kingdom.

 

#dailybreadbykitty

Daily Inspiration from the Bible

everyone’s dream

Every valley shall be exalted And every mountain and hill brought low; The crooked places shall be made straight And the rough places smooth; the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, And all flesh shall see it together; For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.

- Isaiah 40:4-5 (NKJV)

 

Today is a federal holiday in the United States, marking the birthday of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Living in a time of social unrest in this country, this man worked tirelessly for civil rights in America.
He was inspired by Mahatma Gandhi’s model of nonviolent resistance and believed that peaceful protests would lead to victory.

His most iconic speech, “I have a dream”, delivered on August 28, 1963 contained references to today’s verse among many others.

Excerpts from his speech include:
I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up, live out the true meaning of its creed: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.”

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave-owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood. I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream . . . I have a dream that one day in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification, one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.

I have a dream today . . .
Dr. King understood that his dream of social justice and racial equality was in harmony with God.
I am not sure if we are closer to realizing this dream today or further away from it.
I wish that more humans would comprehend that violence is not the answer. 
I truly hope to someday see the words of this verse come true, to see crooked places made straight and rough places made smooth.
I hope to witness the glory of the Lord revealed. 

#dailybreadbykitty

Daily Inspiration from the Bible

what can you do for me?

Then Jesus said to His host, “When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or sisters, your relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”

- Luke 14:12-14 (NIV)

 

Are you selective in your friendships?

There are those there that select the people they associate with based on what those people can do for them and their agenda or career.
It’s like asking “What good are you to me?” to every person they meet! 

What if God asked us that?

What if God did not show us grace unless we could do something specific for Him?

We often base our relationships upon how people can help us go forward, but Jesus challenges us to reach out to those who can’t do a thing for our personal advancement.

What would happen if we took the time and resources to bless those couldn’t repay us?

The world might be a different place.

It certainly will be a different place for those we bless.

 

#dailybreadbykitty

Daily Inspiration from the Bible

nothing can be everything

Our hearts ache, but we always have joy. We are poor, but we give spiritual riches to others. We own nothing, and yet we have everything.

- 2 Corinthians 6:10 (NLT)

 

There are a lot of people who, for lack of better terms, are going through hell right now.
Yet they stand strong in their faith and through their tears they continue to praise God.
Tough times, regardless of the kind of tough, financial, health, relationships, even depression can weigh heavily on us.
Paul was no stranger to suffering, he endured more than anyone could dream of today.

But he never stopped praising God.
Paul discovered that despite his sorrow, there was joy to be found. 
Regardless that he had no money, he was rich beyond measure. 

The fact that he had nothing meant nothing because he was overflowing with abundance from God.

In 1971, Dolly Parton released Coat of Many Colors, if you have never heard it you should look it up.
The last verse reads: 
But they didn't understand it

And I tried to make them see

That one is only poor

Only if they choose to be

Now I know we had no money

But I was rich as I could be

In my coat of many colors

My momma made for me

Made just for me
Our hearts may be filled with sorrow, our wallets may be empty, we may have nothing to call our own.

We can face our afflictions alone and wallow in self pity or we can turn to Jesus to find the joy in our lives and focus on that.

 

#dailybreadbykitty

Daily Inspiration from the Bible

carry this for me

Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.

- Galatians 6:2 (NIV)

 

For some people it is extremely difficult for them to share their feelings, they might be afraid that they will be laughed at or ostracized for having certain emotions.

When I grew up the big thing was “boys don’t cry” but guess what – that is not true.
There are people in this world that are greatly affected by other people’s emotions, these people, known as empaths, feel what others feel at a deep emotional level.

For the empath it can be overwhelming and exhausting, especially when it is hurt or anger that is being projected.

The person that has those feelings they might find it offensive and invasive that they are being easily read.

We are called to share one another’s troubles and problems, regardless of if we are “an empath” or not.

This means that while we may not feel their pain, hurt and anger, we still need to understand it.

We don’t have to fix it, and sometimes people that are hurting don’t want us to fix it, they just want to be heard.

Sometimes we can share each other’s burdens simply by being a friend.

Cook them a meal or take them to dinner, maybe just send them a text to check on them.

Go for a walk with them, pray for them, and with them.
If you are the one carrying a heavy load, tell someone.  

There are people that love you that will share your burden, because that is what we are called to do.

 

#dailybreadbykitty

Daily Inspiration from the Bible